Rotary slip elevator



June 23, 1953 c W 2,642,642

- ROTARY SLIP ELEVATOR Filed May 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l Cad! MML g. [Um-M 1 June 23, 1953 c WARE 2,642,642

ROTARY SLIP ELEVATOR Filed May 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I k is 4 3a I :55

4 I I N awe/Mm 4 l 7 F- Zo L Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY- SLIP ELEVATOR Cecil Ware, Houston, Tex. Application Maya, 1949'; Serial Nb; 912,168

7- Claims. (01. 24'-263') This invention relates'to a rotary slip elevator.

An object of the present invention is to pro vide a rotary slip for handling: pipe in a welllbore and which includes means for handling the slip, ina convenient manner, inmaking' up or break, ing out the string of pipe Whileit is being lowered into or withdrawn from the well bore.

The invention includes means' whereby the slip segments will be automatically released from the pipe, and. maintained so released; upon elevation of the pipe with manually operable means for releasing the: slip from saidinactive position whereby th segments may engage: about the pipe and seat in the rotary table in position to suspend the pipe, from said" table,.in; the wellbore.

Other objects: and advantages will be apparent from the following specification, which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sidelelevation of the. slip partly in section showing the slip handling equipment associated therewith in vertical section.

Figur 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3' of: Figure 1';

Figure 4 is a horizontalsectional view'taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;'and

Figure. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 55= of Figure 1 Figure 6 is a detail view partly in section ona somewhat enlarged scale, showing structural details of operating partsof th mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designatesitherotary table having a downwardly converging slip seat 2 in which the slip is'mounted when-in pipe-support.- ing position.

In thepresentillustration' the slip-is shown as being composed of segments-3 whose inner sides areprovided with pipe-engaging teeth 4. These teeth defin a cylindrical surface so as to fit closely about a pipe supported by the slip; however, theouter surfaces of"thesegments 3 have their lower portions'tap'ered downwardly to conform to the contour of', andto fit snugly within, the seat 2, whereby the'segments'willbe wedged between the pipe and said seat;

At the upper end of. the slip. there are. the opposed; arcuate wires 5; 5} which are hingedtogether by mean of thehing-e 'pin- 5; These yokes are fitted through slots inthe. upper ends ofthe segments provided to receive them and are bolted to the segmentsihy means of-suitable bolts as 'I.

' of said pin. and is retained in place 'by me'ansof anut' I'l screwed ontothe upper end of the in.

Secured on the rotary table in any preferred manner there is a supporting frame [2; As shown, thi frame-is: secured to the rotary table by means of bolts I3; [3, although itmay be secured" to the?" table in any" selected. manners This frame I25 also includes outwardly extended parallel arms- M; M, whose inner ends may be secured; to the frame proper in any preferred manner, as by welding: 'Preferablylthesearms M are upwardlyand outwardly inclined as shown in'F'igur l, and secured-between their outer: ends theresi an upstanding'anchor-li; also; in the present illustration; there is an upstanding web 16 extending?- transversely across the: frame [2 between said arms, as illustrated in Figures: 1' and 2i- There": is' az beam whichvincludes oppositely disp'osed', upstanding. side members or guides 11, I11, whose inner sides have opposed longitudinal grooves It; t8; and these-side-members areconnected, at their: outer; ends, by thefcross bar l9, which may be secured to said sidemembers in any preferred manner.

Th inner end 'oftheweb [-6 is formed into a transversely-disposed bearing 20 of a length considerably greater than the thickness; of: said web; asshowni in Figures 2-and 3; andthe lower ends of the: side'members- H- are fitted against the ends ,of: the bearingdllpand an-axlepin 2l is fitted throughv the-bearing 20 and its ends are reduceda-nd: fitted through bearing-sin the lower ends of theside-members' Hand have retaining nuts 22, 22 on the ends thereof to retain said side members; in place.

Between th'e side: members l1 thereis an -anchor b10Cl 23, which is providedl with; side tenon's which: extend into'the: grooves 18, and the lower end of this block is: bifurcated, providing-side arms-between which thedink l0 extends; and-this link is pivotally connected to: the block by means: Of: atransverse pin-24= which: extends throughthem.- 1 I There is a cylinder 25 whose outer end is pivotally connected to the upper end of the anchor 15 and whose inner end is provided with a hearing 26 secured therein. There is a plunger 21 in the cylinder, and connected to it there is a plunger rod 28 which works through the bearing 26 and whose inner end is formed with a bearing through which the pin 24 also works.

In the present illustration there is a coiled spring 29 within the cylinder around the rod 28 and interposed between the bearing 26 and the plunger 21.

Mounted between the side members I'I, near their upper ends, there is a yoke 30 whose ends are reduced, forming tenons which fit into the grooves I8. A rod 3] is slideabl through the cross-bar l9 and has an outer end head as 32 to limit its downward movement, and its lower end is threaded into the yoke 30. A coiled cushion ing spring 33 surroundsthe rod 3| and is interposed between the cross-bar l9 and the yok 30, thus forming a cushion for said yoke. V

,-The inner end of the yoke is downwardly turned, forming a bumper 34, and pivotally connected to the other end of the yoke there is a grip member 35 whose pivoted end is provided with a downwardly extended hook 36, and the outer side of the anchor block 23 is provided with a corresponding hook 31 which is engageable with the hook 36 as willbe hereinafter explained. I

7 With the slip in the rotary table seat and in position to engage and support a pipe extending through the slip into the well bore, the parts will be in the position shown in Figure 1, and upon elevation of the pipe the slips will be elevated out of the seat 2 but will be maintained clamped around thepipe by means of a wedge 38 which wedges between the extensions 39, 39 of the arcuate yokes 5 as best seen in Figure 6. This wedge is fastened in the lower end of a vertical rod 40,'which extends up through an aligned bearing in the link 10. This rod is vertically movable in said bearing but is provided with an elongated side notch 4| through which a retaining pin 42 extends, said pin being mounted in the link l0 and projecting into said notch to limit the movement of rod 40.

Upon elevation of the pipe, as above indicated, the slips will move with the pipe substantially vertically, and the link [0 and block 23 will move upwardly also, and as they move upwardly the beam, above described, will be moved toward the pipe and toward vertical position. The inner end of the cylinder will also be moved vertically, and the spring 29 will be placed under compression. Eventually, the upper end of the rod 40 will strike the bumper 34, and the wedge 38 will be moved downwardly from between the extensions 39. The spring 33 will act to limit the upward movement of the yoke and will also act as a shock absorber; also, the hook 31 will come into inter-engagement with the hook 36, and upon release of the wedge 38, as above explained, the slip segments will be free to open;

It will be noted from an inspection of Figures 1 and 3 that there are the opposed release arms '43, 43 pivotally mounted on the beam. side members I! with their upper ends free, and secured to said side members there are the leaf springs 44, 44 whose outer free ends press inwardly against said release arms.

The release arms are so positioned that as the slip is elevated the extensions 39 willpa'ss in between them, and said arms will be moved outwardly, thus placing the springs 44 under tension. When the slip has reached the limit of its upper movement, and the wedge 38 is released, as hereinabove explained, the release arms 43, 43, pressing inwardly against the extensions 39, 33 will cause the yokes 5, 5, and

the slip segments carried thereby, to swing open,

rotary table seat 2 to again support the pipe the grip member may be pulled upwardly to release the hook 36 from the hook 31 of the anchor block, thus permitting the slip to de-- scend into said seat 2 and the parts will then assume their original position as indicated in Figure 1. As the parts assume their final position, as indicated in Figure l, the lower end of the wedge 38 will strike against a. yieldingly mounted bumper 45, which will drive said wedge securely between the extensions 39. This bumper 45 is mounted on the upper end of a rod 46 which works through a bearing in an inwardly extended flange'd'lof the frame I2, and between this-flange and the bumper 45,

and surrounding theprod '46, there is a coiled.

spring 48 provided to absorb the shock when the wedge strikes the bumper but which is of sufilcient strength to cause the wedge to be driven between said extensions.

On the lower end of the rod 46 there is a V nut 49 to prevent displacement of the rod 43.

It'is to be understood that what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described. It is of course obvious that various mechanical changes may be made in the actual construction of the equipment. The drawings and descriptions are by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation, while the broad principle of the invention will be embodied in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for handling a rotary slip comprising, a supporting frame adapted to be mounted on a rotary table,a beam upstanding from the frame, an elevator block movable along the beam, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes which are hinged together and which support the slip segments, a link connecting the yokes to the block, said yokes having extensions at their pivoted ends, wedge means connected with said link and positioned to wedge between said extensions ,to hold the slip segments in closed position, said elevator block being movable upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam toward vertical position, a bumper on the beam positioned to release the wedge means from be The elevator will move "outwardly into .6 to wedge between said extensions to hold the slip segments in closed position, said'elevator block being movable upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam toward vertical position, a bumper on the beam means cooperable with the wedge means and positioned to engage the bumper to release the wedge means from between the extensions, upon elevation of the slip, to allow the slip segments to open, and means on the frame positioned to drive the wedge means between said extensions when the slip has reached the limit of its downward movement.

3. A device for handlingv a rotary slip composed of segments and comprising, a supporting frame adapted to be mounted on a rotary table, a beam upstanding from the frame, an elevator block movable along the beam, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes which are hinged together and which support the slip segments, a link connecting the yokes to the block, said yokes having extensions at their pivoted ends, wedge means connected with said link and positioned to wedge between said extensions to hold the slip segments in closed position, said elevator block being movable upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam to substantially vertical position, a bumper on the beam positioned to release the wedge means from between the extensions upon elevation of the slip, to allow the slip segments to open, and means on the beam engageable with said extensions to positively open said segments upon release of the wedge means.

4. A device for handling a rotary slip composed of segments and comprising a supporting frame, adapted to be mounted on a rotary table, a beam upstanding from the frame, a supporting element movable along the beam, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes which are upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam into substantially parallel relation with the vertical axis of the slip, means on the beam positioned to release the locking means, upon elevation of the slip, to allow the slip segments to move to open position, and means on the elevator and operative against the yokes to positively open the slip upon release of said locking means.

6. A device for handling a rotary slip composed of segments and comprising, a supporting frame adapted to be mounted on a rotary table, a beam upstanding from, and pivoted to, said frame, a supporting element movable along the beam, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes which are pivoted together and on which the slip segments are mounted, a link pivoted together and which support the slip segments in position to open and close about a pipe, means connecting the yokes to said supporting element, means connected with said connecting means and normally locking the yokes in closed position, said supporting element being movable v I upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam into substantially parallel relation with the vertical axis of the slip, means on the beam positioned to release the locking means, upon elevation of the slip, to'allow the slip segments to move to open position.

5. A device for handling a rotary slip composed of segments and comprising a supporting frame adapted to be mounted on a rotary table,

a beam upstanding from the frame, a supporting element movable along the beam, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes which are pivoted together and which support the slip segments in position to open and close about a pipe,

means connecting the yokes to said supporting.

element, means connected with said connecting means and normally locking the yokes in closed position, said supporting element being movable connecting the yokes to the supporting element, means carried by the link and adapted to lock the yokes, and segments carried thereby, about a pipe to be supported by the slip, said supporting means being movable upwardly on the beam, upon elevation of the slip, to move the beam into substantially parallel relation with thevertical axis of the slip, latch means on the beam engageable with said supporting means to hold the slip in elevated position, means on the beam positioned to release said locking means to allow the slip segments to move to open position, means on the beam arranged to operate the yokes to open the segments upon release of the looking means, and means mounted on the supporting frame and connected with said supporting element and efl'ective to move the beam away from said vertical axis. v

7. A device for handling a rotary slip comprising, a supporting frame to be mounted on a rotary table and forming an adapter, a beam upstanding from, andpivoted to, said adapter, a slip composed of segments, opposed arcuate yokes pivoted together and adapted to support the slip segments, a supporting element movable along the beam, a link to which the yokes and the supporting element are connected, means for locking the yokes and slip about a pipe whereby upon elevation of the pipe the slip and supporting element will be elevated along the beam, release means on the beam positioned to release the locking means to allow release of the slip from the pipe, and releasable latch means on the beam adapted to engage said supporting element and maintain the same, and the slip,

elevated.

CECIL WARE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

